Summary Biomedical Engineer The incumbent will provide professional engineering support to a complex, highly technical, and service oriented Biomedical Engineering Program. The Biomedical Program includes medical technology assessment, strategic planning, acquisition support, implementation, coordination, equipment management, and ongoing maintenance support. Responsibilities The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the @context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Duties include, but are not limited to: Using engineering principles, the incumbent may provide professional, biomedical services for the institution, insofar as these services do not interfere with the attainment of objectives. Assignments require judgment in adapting practices and techniques to specific situations usually through a series of related processes. They must use resourcefulness and initiative in planning the details for the accomplishment of assignments. A personal plan for learning and continued professional development must be continually developed that will ultimately be approved by the Supervisory Biomedical Engineer. The supervisor will provide specific guidance, as requested, by the Staff Engineer. The incumbent must be able to learn new technology, identify trends, and have the ability to communicate this information in an advisory capacity to administrative, clinical, and technical staff. They must be able to utilize this information to solve biomedical engineering problems. Assists in the development of the Medical Equipment Management Plan (MEMP) at the facility. Participates in medical device hazard investigations and assures compliance with the patient safety goals, the Safe Medical Devices Act (SMDA), and The Joint Commission (T JC) requirements. Presentations may require written and oral communication as well as preparation of technical, informational, and graphical documentation. Independent research and biomedical engineering project management are expected of the incumbent. The incumbent must be able to learn organizational concepts to meet operational needs. Attendance is expected at training conferences and meetings included in the requirements for the development of the Staff Engineer to the Full Performance Level of the 0858 Series, as well as facility or VISN level meetings. Duties or projects typically include facility-based work and may include VISN or National Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) projects. Program Involvement and Management: The Biomedical Engineer reports directly to the Supervisory Biomedical Engineer. They receive administrative direction with assignments in terms of broadly defined missions and functions. They exercise authority to oversee the overall planning, direction, and timely execution of assigned Biomedical Program activities. They have responsibility for planning, designing and implementing programs, projects, studies, and other work to support healthcare technology at the Medical Center. Successful execution of these responsibilities has major impact upon the outcome of patient care delivery. Presentations may require written and oral communication as well as preparation of technical, informational, and graphical documentation. Technical Expertise: The Biomedical Engineer is recognized as the technical expert and advisor on Biomedical Engineering issues and aids in the Biomedical Engineering support provided by Biomedical staff at the medical center. They are responsible for providing assistance to the clinical staff in selection and utilization of medical equipment. The Biomedical Engineer advises the management staff in the areas of high-cost and high-volume medical technology, a wide array of general biomedical technology, as well as certain medical-related technology issues. Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday-Friday, 0800-1630 Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education and/or Experience: The individual must meet either item (1) or (2) below to meet this requirement: Bachelor's Degree or Higher in Engineering. To be creditable, the curriculum must be from a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), as a professional engineering curriculum. Examples of acceptable engineering degrees include: Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Biochemical Engineering. OR, Certification as a Certified Clinical Engineer (CCE) and a bachelor's degree. English Language Proficiency: Biomedical Engineers must be proficient in spoken and written English. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: GS-7 Biomedical Engineer- (Entry Level) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-9 Biomedical Engineer- (Developmental Level 1) Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level, GS-7. OR Education: Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of study OR Bachelor's degree, plus two full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study, that demonstrates the KSAs for the GS-9 level assignment. TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i. Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts, and practices of the Biomedical Engineering profession. ii. Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines, and standards, and make recommendations to ensure compliance with medical center programs. iii. Ability to understand the operational needs of clinical services in the health care system. iv. Ability to prepare material on current technical topics and trends, for presentation to other technical staff and mid-level hospital management, and the ability to keep abreast of changes in technology. GS-11 Biomedical Engineer- (Developmental Level 2) Experience: At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower level, GS-9, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. OR Education: Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of engineering OR Bachelor's degree, plus three full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study. TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i. Ability to implement and/or sustain an equipment management or biomedical research program that meets The Joint Commission (TJC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), or other applicable regulatory requirements. ii. Ability to develop material for a continuing education program for clinical or research staff, that address the principles and application of medical technology, and/or biomedical theory used in healthcare. iii. Ability to advise staff on emerging medical technology, or research procedures, while keeping abreast of changes in such technology, and utilizing the information to solve biomedical engineering problems. iv. Knowledge of basic project management principles, as applied to the healthcare setting and medical equipment, and information system implementation. GS-12 Biomedical Engineer- (Full Performance Level) Experience: Completion of at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level, GS-11, or completion of a post-doctoral research fellowship in the field of biomedical engineering, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i. Ability to conduct a medical equipment management or biomedical research program that is compliant with applicable healthcare standards and regulatory agencies. ii. Ability to develop a curriculum for a continuing education program, that address the safe and effective use of medical technology, and/or research devices. iii. Ability to manage a recall and safety alert program for medical devices, including medical device hazard investigations, to assure compliance with patient safety goals, SMDA, and TJC requirements. iv. Ability to conduct capital asset and infrastructure planning for medical equipment spanning initial concept, installation, and effective implementation of complex medical equipment. v. Ability to function as the subject matter expert in the field of biomedical engineering, directly supporting specialized clinical technology, including service, system administration, training, quality assurance, and life-cycle management. vi. Ability to effectively advise clinical and administrative staff on medical technology, including existing and emerging technology, which addresses viability, long-term suitability, compatibility, and/or safety. vii. Knowledge of concepts related to computer based medical systems, networking protocols, and information security as it applies to medical technology within VHA. viii. Skill in communicating and working collaboratively with key stakeholders, including technical and professional staff at various levels of the organization. ix. Ability to apply project management principles to deployment of medical equipment and health information technologies. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-7 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
